Brick planter building units

ABSTRACT

In a preferred embodiment there are provided a plurality of building units all in a generic common shape in that circumscribing walls of the brick have a high wall at one portion and a low wall at an opposite extreme portion of the circumscribing walls thereof, with each brick having both male and female structures in the nature of an uprightly extending female groove and an uprightly extending male flange of corresponding cross-section, spaced-apart from one another such that spaced-apart portions are connectable to different other building blocks, typically the blocks having four upright walls differing in shape from one another in the definition of rectangular through-spaces, trapezoid through-spaces, squared through-spaces, and the like, the rectangular-space brick planter having a high rearward wall and low forward wall, and similarly the trapezoid-shaped brick planter having a high rearward wall and a low forward wall and the squared brick planters one squared planter being for the right hand corner and the other squared planter being for turning the left hand corners by virtue of these two types differing from one another in the opposite locations of their corresponding female grooves and male flange of each respectively. As a result of these combinations, unique designs may be build including also the decorating of peripheral area such as along a sidewalk and/or side-rail edging to steps between different levels.

United States Patent [191 Medlin I BRICK PLANTERBUILDING UNITS [76] Inventor: Rosa M. Medlin, 2230 Bruce Ave.,-

Columbus, Ga. 31903 [22] Filed: July 12, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 488,018

Primary ExaminerI-Ienry C. Sutherland [5 7] ABSTRACT In a preferred embodiment there are provided a plurality of building units all in a generic common shape Sept. 23, 1975 in that circumscribing walls of the brick have a high wall at one portion and a low wall at an opposite extreme portion of the circumscribing walls thereof, with each brick having both male and female structures in the nature of an uprightly extending female groove and an uprightly extending male flange of corresponding cross-section, spaced-apart from one another such that spaced-apart portions are connectable to different other building blocks, typically the blocks having four upright walls differing in shape from one another in the definition of rectangular through-spaces, trapezoid through-spaces, squared through-spaces, and the like, the rectangular-space brick planter having a high rearward wall and low forward wall, and similarly the trapezoid-shaped brick planter having a high rearward wall and a low forward wall and the squared brick planters one squared planter being for the right hand corner and the other squared planter being for turning the left hand corners by virtue of these two types differing from one another in the opposite locations of their corresponding female grooves and male flange of each respectively. As a result of these combinations, unique designs may be build including also the decorating of peripheral area such as along a sidewalk and- /or side-rail edging to steps between different levels.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures BRICK PLANTER BUILDING UNITS This invention relates to brick-like units for use in the brick structures as well as for use as planters for vegetation, flowers, and the like.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Prior to the present invention, there do not appear to have existed any building units of the general type to which the present invention is directed, previously there having been either solely planter containers possibly shaped for, various ornamental designs and/or for stacking one relative to the other and in a separate and distinct technology therefrom there have existed merely standard brick forms of more or less conven-' tional shapes for the construction of walls and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, objects of the present invention are di rected toward the obtaining of new and novel construction units in the nature of bricks for use during the building of sidewalks, steps, buildings, and the like when used in combination with other units of the present invention and/or other units of conventional types of bricks or blocks.

Another object is to obtain planters for flowers while at the same time obtaining interlocking building structures of varying types.

Another object is to obtain improved building brick planters of a variety of differing location of their respective interlocking devices thereof in order to obtain flexibility in the shape and appearance of structures to be built.

Another object is to take one or more of the preceding objects together with a unique show-case effect by virtue of differing heights of four walls for better visually disclosing the contents of the planter portion of the brick.

Another object is to obtain the above-noted showcase effect together with suitably-located interlocking devices for turning either of right or left corners.

Another object is to provide and interlockable building unit having spaced apart male and female locking elements thereof, together with a vegetation planting space defined therein.

Other objects become apparent from the preceding and following disclosure.

One or more objects of the present invention obtained by invention as defined herein.

Broadly the invention may be defined as one or more open top vessels or annuluses, as might be desired, having spaced-apart female uprightly-extending one or more grooves spaced from uprightly-extending one or more male flanges shaped for mating slidable-in and lockably into any one of the females grooves of other adjacent substantially similarly units of the invention, the male and female interlocking elements being located on and defined by exterior circumscribing wall surfaces of the respective brick planting unit and providing the container or annulus space within the circumscribing walls for the planting of plants, grass, or other vegetation as generally might be desired. Additionally the utility as planter is improved, as well as the utility as prescribing the possibility for unique structure to be built from the bricks in their use as bricks being also improved, by virtue of one .overall side of the surface-circumscribing walls being a much higher typi cally rearward ,wall of predetermined height greater than'another wall which is much lower in height, a lower wall typically being a forward wall portion of the circumscribing walls. Although squared and/or four sided units are not the essence of the invention necessarily, it being possible they have 6 or 5 or 3 or the like side upright wall making up the circumscribing walls of the vessel, in typical and preferred embodiment of the present invention there are included units such as typically rectangularly shaped defined spaces of the planter within the circumscribing walls, with the rear wall being elevated and the forward wall being a short wall, and the intermediate interconnecting two shortlengthed end side walls being downwardly-sloping on their upper surfaces from the high rear walls to the low forward walls, and with the female grooves being uprightly extending in one end side wall and the male flange being defined on the exterior of the other interconnecting end side wall. Another such preferred embodiment is typically the same as that described for the above-noted rectangularly shaped unit, except for the forward wall being shorter than the rearward wall thereby resulting in typically a trapezoid shape. Similarly, another preferred embodiment include a cornerturning building unit in which it is diametrically opposite squared corners of a squared space that have one wall portion shorter than the other, with the remaining diametrically opposite corners serving as the intermediate height portions of the circumscribing walls, there being typically one unit of this type with the female groove in one of left wall for, example and with the male flange structure in an adjacent right wall, these left and right walls being the lower two of the four walls. In an alternate squared corner-turning unit, the left slanted short wall is the male flange-containing wall whereas the female groove-containing slanting wall is the right adjacent wall for turning a corner in a opposite direction, or alternately the higher slanted left and right walls have the groove and flange respectively, or the like.

As a result of these varying types of units which basically are of a common generic type there may be formed a variety of unique shapes and structures all interlocking one into the other for secure and rigid combination structures, while achieving a variety of diversified and possible designs and structures therefrom in which vegetation may be planted in each of the units thereof.

The invention may be better understood by making reference to the Figures as followed.

THE FIGURES FIG. 1 illustrates a front-side perspective view of the rectangularly-shaped unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2illustrates a trapezoid unit of substantially corresponding structures, having a trapezoid shape, shown in forward perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3A illustrates in side perspective view a cornerturning squared unit.

FIG. 38 illustrates an alternate embodiment to that of FIG. 3A, also shown in side perspective view for the turning of a comer in a different direction.

FIG. 4 illustrates in diagrammatic elevation plan view a typically appearing ornamental design of construction produced in circular form from building block units typically of the types illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 above.

FIG. 5 illustrates in diagrammatic elevation plan view typically a wall-space of planter units together with steps having other planter units thereof as edging units for steps, utilizing brick planting units of typically the types illustrated for FIGS. 1, 3A and 3B.

FIG. 6 illustrates in diagrammatic elevation plan view a still other typically variations in construction design, this combination making use of units such as those illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3A and 3B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In greater details, the invention embodies a plurality of building planter units such as 7, 8, 9 and of FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 38 respectively. All of the planter units are basically similar in structure and accordingly have been assigned similar numbers corresponding parts such as for example the back wall 14 of unit 7 having a substantially common designation for unit 8 as wall 14a, and such as for the unit 9 the wall 28a corresponding to or being substantially mateable with and/or substantially a mirror image of the unit 10 wall 28b, except for embodiments 7 and 8 for example illustrating different mating arrangements, and the like for other numeral designations which in such cases will not be repeated because of mere redundancy in doing so.

Accordingly, the unit 7 includes the high rear wall 14 and the short forward wall 15 interconnected by the intermediate walls 16 and 18 having the planted or angular upper surfaces 17 and 18 respectively, with the wall 16 having the uprightly-extending groove 19 being opened end at its upper end through the surface of upper slanted face 17. Accordingly, male flange members such as member 23 located on the exterior surface of side walls 24, with the male flange 23 extending axially uprightly, is of the shape and cross sectional area such that it is in the lockingly matable wiih another units female groove corresponding to that of the groove 19. There is defined within the circumscribing unitinterconnected walls 14, 24, 15 and 16, the enclosed space 20 of the brick planter, which space optionally may or 'may not be a through space such as would be the situation when the brick structure is an annulus. In the unit 7, it is noted that the upper surfaces of 22 and 21 of walls 14 and 15 respectively extends substantially horizontally across while the planter walls upper surfaces 17 and 18 interconnect the elevated rearward upper-surface 22 with the forward lower upper surface 21.

In the unit 8 embodiment of FIG. 2, the structures are substantially the same as those of the unit 7 embodiment except for the fact that the wall 15a as the forward wall is much shorter length than the rearward wall 14a, and accordingly that the unit be symmetrically shaped pairs the interconnecting walls 16a and 24a angled inwardly to define acute angles with the wall 14a and to define obtuse angles with the forward walls 15a. The unit 8 would be utilized together with other units of also unit 8-type, and/or with units such as the unit 7 and/or with corner-turning units such as units 9 and/or 10 for the gradually-turning or sharp-turning respectively of corners, while concurrently providing slanting face with the visibility of the vegetation therein being forwardly directed by virtue of the elevated rearward wall and the short forward wall, whereby the dirt or soil therein may be also on slant within the container if desired.

The typical alternate units of FIGS. 3A and 3B, namely units 9 and 10, are for turning corners in opposite directions and are otherwise basically similar to one another, each defining a planter space or enclosure such as 32a and 32b respectively and each having two elevated walls such as walls 33a and 34a of unit 9 and walls 33b and 34b of unit 10, and two lower walls such as 35a and 36a and of unit 9, and 35b and 36b of unit 10. All walls in these embodiments have slanted upper faces such as upper faces 28a and 29a and upper faces 30a and 31a of unit 9, and upper slanted faces 28b and 29b, and 30b and 31b respectively, resulting in the high corner 25a of unit 9 and 25b of unit 10 and the low corner 39a of unit 9 and the lower corner of 39b of unit 10, with the intermediate-height corners 26a and 27a of unit 9 an intermediate-height corners 27b and 26b of unit 10. Otherwise the units 9 and 10 are similar except for the alternate positioning of the female groove 37a as compared to the female groove 37b and the alternate position of the male flange 38a as compared to the male flange 38b, relative to the location of the lower and higher corners thereof.

The finished constructions for structures 11, 12 and 13 illustrates typical structures that may be built from the above-noted inventive units 7, 8, 9 and 10. The composite unit 11 as illustrated illustrates the united consecutive and alternate units 7 and 8 forming in a circular configuration. The composite structure 12 having the inventive edging to steps, with edging utilizing the units 7 and 9 and 10 as illustrated. In like manner, the composite structure 13 as illustrated in FIG. 6 utilizes the units 7 and 9 and 10.

It is to be noted that the essence of the present invention does not reside in the particular nature of the composition out of which the brick planters are constructed, it being entirely within the scope of the invention and contemplated to make the walls thereof in the illustrated unitary manner out of conventional brick materials and/or concrete or cinder block compositions and/or of any suitable plastic material such as preferably polypropylene, or the like. Also, the methods of manufacture may utilize any of conventional methods for the manufacture of brick blocks, or other such structures, for the manufacture of the units of the present invention.

It is within the scope of the present invention to make such variations and modifications and substitution of equivalents as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in this particular field of art.

I claim:

1. A planter brick comprising in combination circumscribing walls of brick composition defining a circumscribed space having at least an open top, one wall portion of the circumscribing walls defining on an outer surface thereof an uprightly-extending female slot having an upper open end, and spaced-therefrom another wall portion thereof defining on an exterior surface thereof a male flange extending uprightly of a size having a horizontal cross section substantially the same as the female slot, a rearward portion of the circumscribing walls having a predetermined height greater than a forward portion of the circumscribing walls, and intermediately between the rearward wall portion and forward portion there being intermediate wall portions having an upper surface thereof angled downwardly from the rearward wall portion to the forward wall portion, the circumscribing walls including a plurality of separate upright walls with adjacent upright walls extending angularly to one another interconnected with one another to define a corner, one wall portion containing the female slot separate in an upright wall apart from a male flange contained in another wall portion, each of the one wall portion containing the female slot and the other wall portion defining the male flange being each respectively one of said plurality defining said corner, and at least one of the plurality being one of the intermediate wall portions having an upper surface thereof angled downwardly.

2. The brick planter of claim 1, in which the circumscribing interconnected upright walls are four in num-- her.

3. The brick planter of claim 2, in which the forward upright defined four right-angle corners.

4. The brick planter of claim 2, in which the four upright walls define two rearward acute angled corners and two forward obtuse angled corners such that a trapezoid-shaped space is defined by the circumscribing walls.

5. The brick planter of claim 2, in which two diametrically opposed corners defined by the circumscribing four upright walls are high and low corners and the remaining intermediate diagonally opposed .corners are of intermediate heights.

6. The brick planter of claim 5, in which the one wall portion containing the female groove and the other wall portion defining the male flange are respectfully the upright walls adjacent to one another and adjacent the corner of lowest height.

7. The brick planter of claim 6, in which the one wall portion containing the female groove is located in one lateral direction from the lowest corner and the other wall portion defining the male flange is located in a different lateral direction from the lowest corner. 

1. A planter brick comprising in combination circumscribing walls of brick composition defining a circumscribed space having at least an open top, one wall portion of the circumscribing walls defining on an outer surface thereof an uprightly-extending female slot having an upper open end, and spaced-therefrom another wall portion thereof defining on an exterior surface thereof a male flange extending uprightly of a size having a horizontal cross section substantially the same as the female slot, a rearward portion of the circumscribing walls having a predetermined height greater than a forward portion of the circumscribing walls, and intermediately between the rearward wall portion and forward portion there being intermediate wall portions having an upper surface thereof angled downwardly from the rearward wall portion to the forward wall portion, the circumscribing walls including a plurality of separate upright walls with adjacent upright walls extending angularly to one another interconnected with one another to define a corner, one wall portion containing the female slot separate in an upright wall apart from a male flange contained in another wall portion, each of the one wall portion containing the female slot and the other wall portion defining the male flange being each respectively one of said plurality defining said cornEr, and at least one of the plurality being one of the intermediate wall portions having an upper surface thereof angled downwardly.
 2. The brick planter of claim 1, in which the circumscribing interconnected upright walls are four in number.
 3. The brick planter of claim 2, in which the forward upright defined four right-angle corners.
 4. The brick planter of claim 2, in which the four upright walls define two rearward acute angled corners and two forward obtuse angled corners such that a trapezoid-shaped space is defined by the circumscribing walls.
 5. The brick planter of claim 2, in which two diametrically opposed corners defined by the circumscribing four upright walls are high and low corners and the remaining intermediate diagonally opposed corners are of intermediate heights.
 6. The brick planter of claim 5, in which the one wall portion containing the female groove and the other wall portion defining the male flange are respectfully the upright walls adjacent to one another and adjacent the corner of lowest height.
 7. The brick planter of claim 6, in which the one wall portion containing the female groove is located in one lateral direction from the lowest corner and the other wall portion defining the male flange is located in a different lateral direction from the lowest corner. 